The Copyright Act does not expressly address the protection of individual characters in expressive works, but courts have long recognized that certain characters, particularly those with strong visual or narrative identities, may be independently copyrightable. The Ninth Circuit crystallized this principle in DC Comics v. Towle, 802 F.3d 1012 (9th Cir. 2015), where it held that the iconic Batmobile, as depicted in both comics and films featuring the Caped Crusader, qualified as an independently protectable character. Continue Reading When Is a Car a Character? The Ninth Circuit Revisits Copyrightability in Halicki v. Carroll Shelby Licensing